Thursday, February 5, 2009

Last week we were watching Anthony Bourdain in the Azores on No Reservations & he kept talking about & showing this soup. A rustic soup of what was available, Portuguese sausages (or perhaps chorizo we weren't sure), potato, kale & cabbage. It looked so wonderful we decided to try our hand on it for dinner this week.It really was a wonderful winter dish. We love the flavor of the chorizo & cabbage a perfect little touch of sweetness. Matt thought it needed a little more paprika though I thought it was fine. A lot of chorizo contains paprika in it so check the seasoning of your soup & add a little more if you wish.Last time I used chorizo links there was some question about what I was using since many people in the States are only familiar with Mexican chorizo. So, I took a picture of the smoked chorizo I use for soups & such. This harder type of chorizo is more common in Europe especially Spain but I'm starting to see it a lot more around here. This is a local grocery store brand but we've also bought it at World Market in the past.

This is simmering on the stove now and smells divine. Didn't have kale so I used spinach and added some extra cabbage to use the rest of it up. I can't wait for supper time. =) I know I'm slow at posting on this ... but I'm trying to be good about giving thanks to those whose recipes I try.

Another way to try this soup is to puree the potato, after boiling it and skip the chorizo. I used to live in Lisbon and this soup, called "Caldo Verde" was a daily part of my diet. Caldo Verde with a good rustic bread hits the spot every time.

This sounds a lot like Portuguese kale soup (caldo verde or sopa de couve). Try Gaspar's chourico or linguica. It's an excellent sausage made in Fall River, MA - but they sell it here in Florida, so I imagine it's readily available.